A Night of Philosophy

After tremendous success in Paris, London and Berlin, A Night of Philosophy premieres in New York on April 24. From 7 pm to 7 am, come and experience an innovative and original nocturnal happening like any other in New York with over 80 events, ranging from philosophy lectures, to artistic performances, from theatre to video art, from songs to dance and DJ sets.

A Night of Philosophy is a 12-hour free event which will unfold in stunning rooms throughout two iconic mansions at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 79th street: the Gilded Age Payne Whitney Mansion, the home of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and Albertine Books in French and English, and the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion, a National Historic Landmark that is home to the Ukrainian Institute of America.

A round-the-clock series of 20-minute lectures will be presented by 61 leading international philosophers covering a wildly diverse range of subjects including:

— “Do We Really Want to Be Equal?” with Florent Guénard (Université de Nantes, France)
— “Must Intellectual Life Be Boring?” by Pascal Engel (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
— “I Think, Therefore I Can” by Barbara Montero (City University of New York)
— “Suicide” by Simon Critchley (New School for Social Research)
— “Freedom of Speech” by Monique Canto-Sperber (CNRS - French National Center for Scientific Research)
— “Honor Now” by Kwame Anthony Appiah (New York University)

In between talks, guests will encounter specially commissioned art installations, live performances, and film and video screenings exploring philosophy in playful and provocative ways. Highlights include:

— A Marathon Reading by actors of Philosophy in the Boudoir by Marquis de Sade
— A “Discothèque philosophique” by a mix of artists, DJs and poets that will provide the soundtrack for the entire event
— A Musical Spacecraft by artist Stéphane Thidet
— Pianist Karol Beffa improvising on themes suggested by guests – from philosophers names to anecdotes from the history of philosophy
— Sculptor and performance artist Eve Bailey will balance on her kinetic, 8-feet high sculpture made of large wooden beams and ladders

For updates, join the Night of Night of Philosophy Facebook event page and visit nightofphilosophy.com.